Solstice Snapshot
by jacksparrow589
Summary: A brief moment with a younger and Riza and Roy during Roy's apprenticeship on the celebration of the Winter Solstice. Royai. Fluff because I was in that sort of mood.
1. Chapter 1

**Solstice Snapshot**

**WARNING: SPOILERS FOR CHAPTERS 58 AND 87!**

**A/N: A couple things that will help this make a lot more sense: 1) Winter Solstice is the Amestrian version of Christmas. Why? Why not? 2) Mr. Hawkeye and Chris Mustang know each other through… oh, I don't know. University or something. And now, the story…**

"You usually aren't up this late."

"You don't usually go to bed this early."

Roy shrugged. "I'm tired. Anyway, I still need to give you your present for Solstice."

Riza looked confused. "You already did, remember?"

With a bit of a hangdog look, Roy explained, that was from my mother, actually."

"Roy…" Riza shook her head.

Roy grinned guiltily. "Please don't tell," he begged. "I _like_ having hair on my head."

Riza let out a surprised laugh. "She… _really_?"

Blushing slightly, Roy protested, "It's not funny!" He pulled a small box out of his pocket. "Close your eyes."

Obeying, Riza held out her hands, flinching slightly when something cold and metal was fastened around her neck instead. She opened her eyes, hand flying to her throat. "Roy, what…" she examined her reflection in a window, eyes bright.

"I saw a picture of your mother, and I tried to copy it," Roy explained.

Riza fingered the small spiral, feeling the tiny dot of amethyst at the center, eyes now filled with tears. "Thank you," she managed to choke.

Roy smiled and pulled her into a hug. "No, thank _you_, Riza. You're my family away from my family. I don't know how you do it, but I do know that I don't thank you nearly enough."

"Don't let your sisters hear that," Riza chided jokingly. "They might think they're being replaced."

Roy shook his head. Riza leaned back a little, looking confused. Roy placed a hand behind her head and leaned in, pressing his lips to Riza's.

Riza froze for an instant, which caused Roy to start to pull back.

_No._

Riza wasn't sure if she actually spoke the word, but her mouth formed it, and she tilted her head a little to the side before leaning back in. Roy's grip on Riza's waist tightened, pulling her as close as he could.

A cough from Mr. Hawkeye's room, though it was upstairs, startled them apart.

Riza's small cough sounded as nervous as Roy felt. "Well, good night," she whispered.

Before she could turn to go, however, Roy grabbed her wrist to catch her attention, and kissed her briefly. "Night."

With that, he turned off the sitting room light, and headed to his room.

Riza stood by the window for a moment, fingering the necklace and trying to quell the tears that threatened to overflow. Smiling and in control, she, too, headed to her own room.

Solstice had never been her favorite, but now, maybe, Riza could see its merits.

**END**

**A/N: This was written to satisfy the romantic in me. I don't want to claim that this is how they would have been as teenagers, but I liked the idea, and figured I could go with it. I mean, even crazy childhoods have their normal moments, don't they?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Solstice Snapshot the Second**

**A/N: This WAS gonna be a separate one-shot, but I figured that I might as well tack it onto the first one. Makes more sense, 'cause I don't have to repeat the ideas behind the first one.**

Chris Mustang beamed as Riza entered the house. She had always liked the girl, who looked more and more like her mother every day, but with her father's coloring. While Chris had not known Mrs. Hawkeye for long before her death, the two had gotten along very well.

But this was no time to be missing people.

"Roy-Boy! Don't be all day about getting in here!" she called out the door.

Roy grimaced at the name as he closed the door behind him. "Mom, _please…_ You know I don't—"

"Roy!" An excited girl in her mid-twenties walked out of the kitchen wearing a flour-stained apron. "Mom said you wouldn't be home until next week for New Year's!" She gave her brother a rather enthusiastic hug, then turned to Riza. "You've grown!" she exclaimed. "It's good to see you again, Riza. Would you please come and talk to me in the kitchen? Nobody else will!"

Riza grinned shyly and nodded. It was hard to believe that Chris and her father had ever become friends, but she was grateful for it during her rare visits. The change of pace and mood was refreshing, starting when she walked in the door. Roy's sisters were the sisters she had dreamed about as a child, so she welcomed the time she could spend with them.

"Riza?"

"Coming," Riza murmured, and followed Roy's sister.

IN THE KITCHEN

"So," Roy's sister began casually, "has Roy grown up any since I saw him last? Has he gotten it through that thick head of his that you're the girl?"

"Annette, it's not… we…" Riza gave up her protests, clearly flustered.

Annette smiled brightly again. "Did he kiss you? He did! It's written all over your face, Riza. Poor girl… I won't tease, I promise. I think you two should give it a chance, though," she added. "Now, go and get changed. Music starts in an hour, dinner in two, and more music and games after. You look like you could use a Mustang family party right now." Annette shooed her guest from the kitchen.

FORTY-FIVE MINUTES LATER

Roy reclined against the wall outside the kitchen. "Hey, Annette, who else is coming?"

"The usual: us, Mom, Riza, Ellie and her husband and kids, and Isabel and her husband and kids," she told him, naming her sisters and their families. Having the whole family around was important to the kids; Isabel and Annette were biological sisters, but all of the siblings had been adopted by Chris.

"Anyway, Roy, you get only one dance with each of us tonight. You're not avoiding Riza this time. I know you're still… not thrilled about Maggie locking you two in the closet last year, but she's only eight, and Ellie did apologize." Annette sighed. "This could be the last time you are able to say something to her before you—" Annette stopped as Riza came down the stairs.

There was suddenly a lump in Roy's throat. He looked at Riza in her deep red shirt and black skirt (…and the necklace, Roy noted) and managed a rather shaky, "I like it."

Riza's only response was to blush.

Thankfully, there was a knock at the door. Roy went to answer it, greeting Ellie's family and even ruffling Maggie's hair affectionately. Her older brother, an eleven-year-old by the name of Garrett, made a beeline for Riza and asked her for the first dance.

Roy decided to step in, if only to placate Annette. "Sorry, Garrett, but Riza's dancing with me for that one. Second or third, maybe?" he offered.

Garrett made a noncommittal grunt and glared at Roy.

By this time, Isabel and her family had shown up. Katie, her three-year-old, toddled over to Riza for a hug. As Riza picked her up, Katie pointed at the necklace. "Iss pwetty," she remarked. "Woy made?"

"How did you know?" Riza asked.

"Mommy told me ta as' you," Katie whispered loudly.

Riza looked up just in time to see Annette nod and Roy's sisters exchange amused looks. She set Katie down and went to sit on the couch.

Chris chose that moment to enter and declare that the music should be started, snatching Garrett for the first dance. Roy dashed over to Riza as she got up. "May I have this dance?" he asked jokingly.

Smiling, Riza nodded and took Roy's hands. It was a fast dance—a good one to start. Riza enjoyed the quick footwork and the twirling. However, as the dance ended, she realized that the last turn ended in a dip. She remembered Roy nearly dropping Annette last year and prayed it did not happen again.

Thankfully, that dance went off without a hitch. It was Garrett who then demanded her attention.

Before much longer, it was time for dinner, and then games, both of which also passed without incident.

As the younger children drifted off on couches and in chairs, Riza was soon the youngest one on the floor. It was now time for the slower dances. Chris was now controlling the phonograph, Annette was holding Katie, and Ellie and Isabel were reluctant to part with their spouses. As such, Roy and Riza had only each other to dance with, and any time either tried to leave, some obstruction quickly and coincidentally appeared.

After everyone was gone, the music still played as Chris and Annette cleaned the kitchen.

Riza was getting ready to go upstairs to the guest room when Roy appeared from the kitchen. "One last dance?" he asked.

"O-of course." Riza put her hand on Roy's shoulder and let him take her free hand. However, Roy looped Riza's hand up around his neck and clasped his hands behind her back. Riza had no choice but to bring her now-free hand up to the other and lean in.

The song wound slowly along, and Riza had lost herself in thought by the time it had ended.

"Riza? The song's over." Roy sounded a little vexed at that realization.

"Oh… Sorry." Riza began to step back, but Roy would not let her. Instead, he looked as though he was trying to memorize what he saw, but with a softer look than the one reserved for study.

When he had finished staring, Roy did not hesitate before leaning in to kiss her. He drew back after a moment, looking a little embarrassed. "It's late—you should go up. I still need to help Annette and my mom."

Riza nodded and slowly left, still trying to sort out her feelings. She took off the necklace and laid it on the nightstand. Perhaps it was that simple, she thought.

The more she thought, the more she found herself hoping it was true, that Roy was someone she could trust and be with. It had been a long time since there had been someone like that in her life.

That was her wish for Solstice, then, and she thought of nothing but that as she drifted off.

_Please, let it be Roy who holds that place in my life, and, even though it's asking a lot, please let me have that place in his life, too. Please…_

**A/N: Obviously, I've just sort of cobbled together Roy's family situation. I don't know how much of it is true beyond what we've been told in the manga. Also, Roy's family knows that Roy's planning to join the army at this point.**


End file.
